Harm OCD: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment

"What if I lose control and push my grandma down the stairs?" These thoughts are disturbing and often occur in individuals experiencing harm obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is an anxiety disorder marked by obsessions and compulsions. OCD has many subtypes, such as symmetry OCD, false memory OCD, and harm OCD.

What Is Harm OCD?

Harm OCD is characterized as experiencing intrusive thoughts about harming others, such as family members, loved ones, strangers, and/or yourself. Almost everyone has intrusive thoughts, however harm OCD sufferers believe that their thoughts are meaningful and a representation of their true selves. These unwanted thoughts tend to be around harming a vulnerable population, such as children, disabled people, and/or elderly people. An example of a harm OCD thought is slapping your children.

Person holding a knife.

Harm OCD thoughts are not limited to just people, it can also involve pets. Other examples of these intrusive thoughts are:

  • Punching newborn baby

  • Burning house down and killing family members

People with harm OCD will often feel guilty, shameful, and anxious that they're having these intrusive thoughts. Sufferers will then engage in compulsions to reduce this anxiety. Individuals will believe that these thoughts are part of their inner beast, even though they're a good person.

Another type of harm OCD is responsibility harm OCD, in which someone believe they might mistakenly hurt someone. Some examples of this subset of OCD, for example mistakenly pushing someone down the stairs

All types of OCD may cause sufferers to feel isolated and alone.

Symptoms of Harm OCD

As with any other subset of OCD symptoms, harm OCD symptoms have their own cycles of obsessions and compulsions.

Obsessions in Harm OCD

People with harm OCD have obsessions, which may seem to occur against their own values and beliefs. Examples of these types of obsessions are:

  • Having violent thoughts against a family member and fearing that they will act on them

  • Thoughts about harming someone mistakenly, such as bumping someone into a train track

  • Intrusive thoughts about hurting oneself

  • Feeling shameful about your unwanted thoughts and believing that they're a reflection of your true self

These obsessions cause an overwhelming sense of anxiety. In order to alleviate this sense of anxiety, individuals will seek reassurance through compulsions.

Compulsions in Harm OCD

There are different types of compulsions in this this subtype of OCD, such as avoidance, seeking reassurance, and other mental rituals.

Sufferers tend to use avoidance as a compulsion. These examples of avoidance are:

  • Sharp objects that may be used to cause harm

  • Triggering news outlets, such as violent news

  • People and/or pets that may cause violent thoughts

  • Driving to ensure you won't hit anyone

Harm OCD suffers also seek compulsion seeking reassurance. These examples are:

  • Seeking self reassurance, such as repeatedly praying or telling themselves that they're a good person

  • Seeking assurance through others, such as asking other individuals if they hurt them

Engaging in mental rituals is another form of compulsion in sufferers. Examples of mental rituals in harm OCD are:

  • Checking your feelings around triggering people/pets

  • Replaying scenes in your head to ensure you didn't harm anyone

  • Playing triggering scenarios in your head to check your feelings

Harm OCD obsessions and compulsions impair the daily life of sufferers. These symptoms of harm OCD can be reduced through treatment. Harm OCD treatment involves the use of various evidence based therapies.

Treatment for Harm OCD

Harm OCD treatment involves the use of the following evidence based therapies, exposure and response prevention and mindfulness.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

ERP therapy is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy. ERP is a considered to be the gold standard in treating OCD, as it's found effective for 80% of OCD patients. In ERP, individuals will be exposed to their triggering thoughts, situations, and/or environments, called exposures. Examples of exposures include:

  • Imaginal exposure is a form of exposure used in ERP. An example of imaginal exposures are having an individual write down and/or say their triggering word, such as blood, rape, kill, etc.

  • In-vivo exposure is another form used in harm OCD treatment. This type of exposure involves exposing an individual to their triggering person, object, environment, and/or situation.

These two types of exposure are coupled with response prevention. This treatment involves individuals to sit with the discomfort caused by their obsessions and to challenge their compulsive behavior.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Practicing mindfulness is a form of self awareness training that helps you practice accepting and allowing whatever arises in the moment. Mindfulness can be used to accept obsessions seen in OCD suffers, thus helping treating OCD.

Searching for Harm OCD Treatment?

KOR Results offers intensive outpatient services and one on one sessions for individuals suffering with OCD. We specialize in cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure and response therapy prevention therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness. We'll work with you to help live your life without OCD's permission.

Other Subtypes of OCD

Click here to read about other subtypes of OCD.